Ashes To Ashes

Yet even now, says The LORD, return to me with all your heart,

With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;

Rend your hearts and not your clothing.

Return to The LORD, your God;

For he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, 

and abounding in steadfast love, and relents from punishing.

-Joel 2: 12-13

This week we Christians begin the annual observance of Lent a six week journey from Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday.  You may notice some people walking around with smudges on their forehead this Wednesday.  This is a sign that they have begun the discipline of the season of Lent by confessing their sins, and being reminded that they are dust and to dust they shall return.  A few years ago, a friend of mine shared this picture: 

I'm just leaving that there because I love it, especially this week.  There is a somber feeling to Ash Wednesday that is an antidote for the frantic busy-ness that engulfs us.  Lent in general is not about the revelry and celebration that we associate with Advent and Christmas, which I suppose is one of the reasons that the celebration of Jesus' birth has taken the headliner role in the Church year these days even though theologically and spiritually the seriousness and power of this season should never be overlooked.

Whereas Christmas easily embraces the excesses of materialism, Lent resists them.  The celebration of Mardi Gras was traditionally a way to sort of get all the indulgences out of your system before remembering that you are going to die and beginning the journey to the cross with Jesus.  We humans can think of so many reasons to get drunk and party (we are clever that way). Which is probably a big reason why we spiritually need to engage in an observance like Ash Wednesday and the Lenten discipline that follows.  Our natural inclination is towards indulgence, our cultural momentum is towards the surface and shallow, we don't much enjoy the contemplation of our own mortality, being reminded that we are dust, but we do need it.

In my estimation these deep traditions that we have been gifted by the great cloud of witnesses are a necessary antidote the the consumerism and materialism that threatens to overwhelm us, even in the churches.  I know not every church does the ashes, but there are enough of them around that do, even if it's not your regular spot, go get them, listen to another human being tell you to remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return.  I promise it's not as creepy as it sounds.